Two trailer parks days away from foreclosure

Triangle Mobile Home Park, 993 E. Michigan Ave, in Emmett Township. The Calhoun County treasurer says the park is one two facing foreclosure if delinquent property taxes aren't paid by the end of this month.(Photo: Al Lassen/For the Enquirer)

Two area trailer parks have less than two weeks to pay delinquent taxes and avoid foreclosure.

Baker Estates at 1030 E. Columbia Ave. and Triangle Mobile Home Park at 993 E. Michigan Ave. both owe hundreds of thousands of dollars in back taxes for 2013, 2014 and 2015. The owners of the Emmett Township parks must pay at least what's owed for 2013 by the end of Thursday, March 31 to prevent the properties from falling into the ownership of the Calhoun County treasurer's office.

Baker Estates must pay at least $40,769 of the $106,208 in total delinquent taxes owed. Triangle must pay at least $100,789; it owes $176,566.

"This is such an unfortunate situation, and I'm all about preventing foreclosures and keeping families in their homes," Treasurer Christine Schauer said Monday. "We just want these owners to do the right thing: be responsible and pay their property taxes."

Two other parks — Avonwood, 953 E. Michigan Ave., and Valley Garden, 897 E. Michigan Ave. — faced foreclosure late last year but have since made payments for 2013 taxes. Both are owned by Battle Creek Realty LLC, which also owns Baker Estates.

Baker Estates at 1030 E. Columbia Ave. in Emmett Township. The Calhoun County treasurer says the park is one two facing foreclosure if delinquent property taxes aren't paid by the end of this month.(Photo: Al Lassen/For the Enquirer)

A call to Denmark Management in Clinton Township, which manages Battle Creek Realty's parks, was not returned Tuesday.

Triangle manager Steve Ramirez said his park's taxes will be paid this week as it continues to undergo refinancing. The refinancing won't be completed before the March 31 deadline, he said, but "in the meantime we're putting together the money on the taxes."

The treasurer's office uses a 30-year title search to notify past and present owners by first-class mailings about the delinquent taxes. Employees also posted notices at the trailer parks in November informing residents.

It's an unprecedented situation for Schauer's office if it were to own trailer parks. She said employees have been in talks with community organizations "that would have to swing in motion immediately" if the parks were foreclosed. But action, if any, depends on whether the owners will pay the unpaid taxes, she said.

If they are foreclosed, the county would operate them until a decision was made on their future, Schauer said — which may include closing or selling the properties.

"That means my office — the taxpayers — will need to foot the bill of rental management for those places," Schauer said. "That is all part of what would be added to any minimum bid if these were to go to auction or be sold in another way."

Baker Estates at 1030 E. Columbia Ave. in Emmett Township. The Calhoun County treasurer says the park is one two facing foreclosure if delinquent property taxes aren't paid by the end of this month.(Photo: Al Lassen/For the Enquirer)

Surveying during the treasurer's in-person distribution of notices in November found about 90 of some 100 units were occupied at Triangle. At least 27 had children and at least 11 were occupied by elderly residents, Schauer said.

At Baker Estates, only about half of the 64 units were occupied and few residents answered doors. County officials found two units with children and 10 with elderly residents.

"We just really hope that both of these owners will pay the taxes so that all of these residents aren't thrown into this kind of stressful situation," Schauer said. "We want to try to keep them within their homes."

Earlier this month, several people picketed outside of Triangle and urged residents to put their rent payments in escrow, alleging Ramirez was not the owner of the property and did not have a license to operate. Ramirez told the Enquirer that he still represented a group that was buying the park and that negotiations were ongoing.

The park has drawn criticism for its living conditions, with tenants raising concerns over rent-to-own lease agreements, streetlight shutoffs, confusing water bills and allegations of retaliation against residents seeking outside help. The county Public Health Department also has concerns over the living conditions.

The owners of Baker Estates last year were awarded $155,100 in damages in a lawsuit stemming from the 2010 Enbridge Inc. oil spill, in which it had sought $6 million.

Contact Jennifer Bowman at 269-966-0589 or jbowman@battlecreekenquirer.com. Follow her on Twitter: @jenn_bowman